Edward Dyson
Edward George Dyson (4 March 1865 – 22 August 1931) was an Australian poet, journalist, playwright, and short story writer. Life Youth He was born at Morrisons near Ballarat in 1865. His father, George Dyson, arrived in Australia in 1852 and after working on various diggings became a mining engineer. His mother, Jane, née Mayall, Davison, Graeme Dyson, Edward George (1865 - 1931) Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition, Australian National University (1981) came from 'a life of refinement in England'. His younger brothers became the talented illustrators Will Dyson and Ambrose Dyson. The family led a roving life during Dyson's childhood, moving successively to Alfredton, Bendigo, Ballarat and Alfredton again. (1949), at Project Gutenberg Australia At 12 he began to work as an assistant to a travelling draper, During his teens he worked in various jobs 'below and on top' at Ballarat, Clunes, Bungaree, Lefroy (Tasmania), Smeaton and Gordon. About 1883 the family settled in South Melbourne. Writing career At 19, he began writing verse and, a few years later, embarked on a life of freelance journalism which lasted until his death. In 1896 he published a volume of poems, Rhymes from the Mines and, in 1898, the first collection of his short stories, Below and On Top. His first real success came in 1889 when his short story A Golden Shanty was used as the title-piece in the Bulletin's Christmas anthology. His play, The Golden Shanty was first performed in Sydney on 30 August 1913.See titleid%3A35#pstart1285059 "The Golden Shanty" (review) in The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 September 1913—at National Library of Australia In 1901, his first long story, The Gold-stealers, was published in London, which was followed by In the Roaring Fifties in 1906. In the same year appeared Fact'ry 'Ands, a series of more or less connected sketches dealing with factory life in Melbourne in a vein of humour. Various other stories and collections of stories were published in the Bookstall Series and will be found listed in Miller's bibliography of Australian Literature.E. Morris MillerAustralian Literature: a Bibliography to 1938, Extended to 1950 Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1956 Another volume of verse, Hello, Soldier!, appeared in 1919. Dyson did an enormous amount of work for many years until he broke down under the strain and died after a long illness on 22 August 1931. His wife Dorothy (née Boyes), whom he married in 1914, survived him with their one daughter aged 14. Publications Poetry * Rhymes from the Mines and Other Lines. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1896. * Hello, Soldier!: Khaki Verse. Melbourne: Alex McKinley, 1919.Edward Dyson (1865-1931), Australian Poetry Library, Web, Mar. 4, 2012. Novels * In the Roaring Fifties. 1906. * The Gold Stealers: A Story of Waddy. * The Missing Link. 1908. * Tommy the Hawker and Snifter His Boy. 1911. * Loves of Lancelot. 1914. * The Escapades of Ann. 1919. Short Stories * Below and On Top. 1898 * Fact'ry 'Ands. 1906 * Benno and Some of the Push: Being Further "Fact'ry 'Ands" Stories. 1911 * The Golden Shanty. 1911 * Spats' Fact'ry: More Fact'ry 'Ands. 1914 Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy Australian Authors.Perry Middlemiss, Edward Dyson (1865-1931), Australian Authors, Middlemiss.org, Web, Mar. 4, 2012. See also * List of Australian poets References External links ;Poems * Edward Dyson (1865-1931) in the Australian Poetry Library. ;Books * Category:Australian humorists Category:Australian journalists Category:Australian poets Category:Australian short story writers Category:1865 births Category:1931 deaths